2019 Web Design Trends5 min read

With the digital world moving at the speed of light, we decided to survey the BuildThis team to find out which web design trends they, personally, hope to see more of throughout the year ahead.

Thumb-Friendly Navigation

“Phones are getting bigger, but my hands aren’t. When designing for mobile we think about how the user is going to navigate through the application, but I feel like we don’t always think about the physical requirements (outstretched thumbs) to use it. How the user holds their phone and the extent of reach that their thumb/fingers have are things to be considered.”

“In one hand you hold your coffee, in the other, you shop for a graduation gift for your brother. Your thumb cranks up to the top left corner of the screen and *splash*. The phone takes a dive and becomes the porcelain throne’s next victim. Top navigations on large screens are phone killers.”

Thumb-friendly navigation is exactly what it sounds like: mobile friendly scrolling for customers that are on the go.

Page Transition Animations

“In my opinion, before page transitions became more pervasive, websites were more cohesive and well-designed. However, when the user would change pages and browse, their “viewing experience” would be broken up into segments. Now, with page transitions, the user experience is smoother and the page transitions make it a much more cohesive experience all around.”

– Collin Osgood, Senior Web Developer

Adventurous Typography

“It’s my hope that we’ll see a shift away from using sans-serif typography so heavily and start utilizing more serif or unique fonts. I think that the inclusion of some more original fonts will lead to more exciting branding that will separate itself from websites that are all beginning to look the same.”

– Brian Dixon, Graphic and Web Designer

“San-Serif fonts have been running the header text game for a while now. You can create a clean, modern site without relying on the same san-serif fonts.”

– Jack Reynolds, Account Manager

Gradients

“The great thing about gradients is that they’re versatile. They can be used subtly in the background or as the focal point of your design. You’re not limited to one color or shade either. They add depth to design and texture to backgrounds providing a completely new feel and color! The use of gradients makes a design feel modern and make a big impact without overwhelming. They dress up the design of your website while providing a classy, modern and professional feel. “

– Laurie Markowski, Project Manager

Craftsmanship

“As everything digital continues to move faster & faster — soon drones will be making deliveries for Amazon directly to Dolores Park — I think we’ll start to see consumers push back on immediacy. Instead, there will be an increased value placed on craftsmanship. In design & development, this means prioritizing the process that includes human interaction & co-creation over the quickest design (i.e. logo in minutes). We’re hankering for more connection with one another rather than interfacing with applications & artificial (inattentive) digital interactions.”

– Hallie Hinkhouse, Head of Operations

Clean UX/UI and Graphics that elicit emotion

“As humans evolve and technology interactions become more innate, UX/UI must also evolve. Sites like Google, Amazon, and Facebook have taught humans how to interact with digital content. Intuitive user interfaces and design will allow for further and deeper engagements. As we progress in our technology integrated lives, how we interact with our technology should allow for easier and more streamlined engagements. A user interface that is dynamic and can adapt to its user, ultimately bettering the situation of the user, should be the goal. How cool would it be to engage with a technology, and no matter how we felt entering that engagement, we always left in a better place than we started?”

– Calvin Prest, Web Strategist

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Paige Guinta is a Digital Marketer at BuildThis Chicago. She spends most of her time helping people like you understand what your web developer is actually talking about through easy to read blogs and content. Contact Paige.